"...Well, you certainly got here fast, Meitantei." But not so fast that this ruby wasn't already heavy in his chest pocket as he sat cross legged on the rooftop railing- not a thing but open air behind him.
It's always best to have the wind ready to catch his wings. Just in case.
Detective Jimmy Kudo, known as Shinichi in Japanese, but currently known as Conan Edogawa to those not privy in-the-know about what had happened to him, stared at the Kaito KID. Blue eyes were intent upon the other, his hands in his pockets. By now, Jimmy had put two and two together, understanding that Kaito having air to his back for an escape route was as natural as breathing to the other.
"Heh... it only keeps getting easier to predict where you'll go, KID." Jimmy told him, smiling a little bit playfully. "Elementary, at this point, if I were to use the words of Sherlock Holmes."
"So, you've already got the Ruby. What're you planning to do from here?" He knew Kaito wasn't likely to reveal the rest of his plan, or his escape route, or even if he had a backup escape route and plan. But Kaito did like to taunt. Jimmy also knew that very well by now, and so he could use it to his advantage if he played things off well-enough. But, just as Jimmy could read Kaito like a book by now, so could Kaito read him. Somehow, the two of them were quite alike, and Jimmy found the notion as distasteful as he did tantalizing. Kaito was a challenge. Much more challenging than half of the cases that Jimmy took on a regular basis that he could solve within seconds.
It meant that Jimmy had more thinking to do. More brainpower to utilize, and it meant that Jimmy's adrenaline pumped with excitement whenever the two of them faced off.
“…Yes, I suppose I am.” Slowly, he turns around, moonlight falling across his face and making his features visible. Then, after a moment, he wordlessly extends a gloved hand to her, smiling.
“Oh...”
She sinks back a bit, casting her eyes downward and to the side in time with the slight sinking feeling in her chest and stomach. “O- Of course...”
Why was she so disappointed? She knew he couldn’t stay-- it would be dangerous for both of them if he was caught here, and surely he had more important things to do than waste his time with her...
“W-Well, I... Um...” She trails off mid-stutter, glancing back up at him shyly just in time for a rush of heat to surge through her cheeks as his face was illuminated. Oh, goodness-- he... he really was quite handsome...!
“Oh--“ As he holds out his hand, she blinks in surprise, looking from it to his face, as if unsure of what to do.
She hesitates for a brief moment, then reaches out, gently laying her own white-feathered hand in his.
"Well, well, well. You are a curious little fellow, aren't you?" A smirk as he paced confidently along the roof's edge, seemingly with no concern about falling. "Don't tell me... you're here to apprehend me?" That sharklike grin only split wider at the thought, almost mocking. "This is a dangerous place to linger." And yet, here he is, doing precisely that. Perhaps he's just curious. "Especially if you don't have any wings, little guy." He doesn't look wild. Wonder where his trainer might be?
❝ Hey! You get down here! ❞ This was for sure the kid he had been hearing about, he needed answers and he needed them now! Pikachu started to climb up the wall, hopping onto to edges that he knew he could land on. ❝ The only thing dangerous is my ability to zap you out of here! ❞ Sure it took him quite a bit to get his powers charged, but once he did... it would be a nightmare. ❝ I just want to ask you a few questions okay? ❞ Pikachu finally managed to make it to the roof, standing right near him.
Lupin and Jigen had gotten just a little too used to his presence at times- it meant he could get away with things anyone else might have been wise to. Which was how the two of them mysteriously found their guns missing when a very thick door to a very small room closed and locked behind them. And a note slipped into their pockets. "Try cooling off in here for a while," signed off with a familiar looking insignia.
@moonlight-kaitou—
All it took was a simple note.
“Come to room 206 at 9:30 PM. -L”
After that, all bets were off. Jigen figured if the guy wanted his beatdown early, who was he to deny him? Heels clicked against the hall’s floor as he approached the room. The door was already propped open, awaiting his entrance. For a split second, he hesitated, then proceeded inside.
It was a very small room. Two chairs, a table, almost like an interrogation room at the local precinct. Definitely not what he was expecting. Come to think of it, it was pretty station-like in the halls, too. He flicked up his hat, however, when his eyes caught sight of one Lupin the 3rd.
Just as he was about to speak, the door slammed behind him, sending a gust of wind against his back. His hat nearly blew clear off his hat, and probably would have had he not instinctively reached up and pinned it down atop of his head.
Both the thief and the gunman looked stunned, immediately exchanging glances.
“Huh!?” Lupin suddenly jumped to his feet, rushing past Jigen and to the door. Grabbing a hold of the doorknob, he twisted and shoved his shoulder against the door, trying to force it open, but to no avail. It just wouldn’t budge. “Crap! We’re locked in!”
Jigen’s anger had temporarily subsided. Right now, his mind was on escaping this infernal place. “Back away, I got this,” he told Lupin, reaching behind him. His hand went to wrap around the grip of his gun, only to find it wasn’t there.
His hat practically jumped up on his forehead as he turned to look behind him. “What!? My gun!” Patting down his backside, then his jacket, finishing with a reach into his pocket. He froze, fingers feeling the crumpling of a note left deep in there. His hat fell further over his eyes as he tilted his head forward and pulled the note out, reading it silently.
Kaito. That damn brat that Lupin had saved a while back. He’d grown too used to the company of this kid, and look where it got him? He grit his teeth.
Meanwhile, Lupin peeked over the gunman’s shoulder, glancing at the note and frowning. He knew that handwriting. A hand gently slipped under the left side of his jacket, feeling the empty holster. Yep, his was gone, too.
Dropping his hand down, he slipped it into his pocket. A note, just like Jigen’s. A sigh left his lips, then, and the thief shook his head, tisking in disappointment. “So, that’s what you’re up to, huh?” A small smile formed on his lips, however.
Jigen heard Lupin mumble something. A glare of some sort was shot at the thief, his face practically a scowl. “You have a lot of explainin’ to do, Lupin,” the gunman grumbled, turning to face him. All they had was their fists and he wasn’t feeling too keen on throwing another punch right now. It was supposed to be a gunfight, anyway, and neither of them had their guns.
Lupin stuffed the note back into his pocket. “Like what?”
Jigen snapped at him, “you know DAMN WELL what! Why’d you send me a goddamn note to come here?!”
Lupin was silent for a time which only further annoyed the gunman. Then, he burst into laughter, pulling a hand out to slap over his eyes. “H’oh MAN, we’re gullible old schmucks!”
Jigen practically recoiled at that, shocked. Then, growled irritably. “What was that!?”
“Calm down, Jigen, I’ll explain in terms simple enough that even a monkey can understand,” he waved a hand, as if to tell Jigen to cool his jets. Then, he pulled another note out. “I’m sure this looks familiar to you, right?”
On the note, it said,
“Meet me in Room 206. 9:30 PM. -Jigen”
Jigen approached the table and his old eyes read the note that Lupin slid across it. Well, he sure felt dumb in that regard. But his anger was still justified. Teeth were once more grit and he scowled.
“Fine, so we were duped. That don’t explain you hitchin’ up with my sister!” This earned Jigen a rather stern look from Lupin. Then, he leaned back in his seat.
“Jigen, about how long’ve we known each other?” Lupin asked.
“Long time. Why?”
“Not once, Jigen, not once have you mentioned to me you even had a sister.” Lupin locked eyes with the gunman. He could see Jigen’s irritation growing. The gunman slapped his hands down on the table.
“So what?! You’ve snuffed out more reclusive people, before!”
“Yeah, but I had a lead. Hate to break it to ya, but your background’s pretty boring, pal. I mean, have you ever read your own Wikipedia page? ‘Cause yours has one’a those annotations at the top claiming it’s a ‘Stub’—there’s just no information about you. Not even birth certificates or passports or anything!” Lupin leaned forward on one arm against the table. “Why, I don’t even know if ‘Daisuke Jigen’s’ your real name at this point! So why the hell would I know anything about a sister?”
It was a lot to hear, really. Jigen took the seat across from Lupin. He contemplated his former partner’s words. Had he been mistaken? No! Surely not! Unless…
Lupin interrupted, however, with a thought of his own. “Say, Jigen, who told you I got married to your sister, anyway?” Jigen looked up at that. Then he recounted the message, and his face turned a slight shade of red.
“Uh, nobody important,” he replied, almost shyly. Crap, he was really in the wrong here, wasn’t he? He could hear Lupin starting to snicker, and he desperately wanted to tell the thief to can it.
Instead, Lupin grinned, leaning back in his seat with a few loose giggles leaving his lips. “Lemme guess; it was an anonymous message, wasn’t it? Jigen, you really oughta get with the times!”
Jigen didn’t laugh. He felt embarrassed. And upon further thought, the gunman realized how silly it was. It had been YEARS since his sister had been kidnapped. She more than likely had been killed or utilized in ways he preferred not to think about. The likelihood that she was even alive was slim to none.
“So… You really didn’t get married?” He finally asked after a time. Lupin sat up, and smiled, shaking his head slowly.
“‘Fraid not, my friend,” Lupin said with a twinge of amusement sparkling in his eyes. “It seems you were the target of a very cruel joke.”
This was almost a relief for Jigen. He felt a sigh leave his lips. Finally, he felt calm. Slumping down in his chair, he leaned against the table. “Now what?”
Lupin held up a finger. “One moment,” he stated, looking up. He hadn’t noticed anything resembling cameras, but the thief HAD picked up on something interesting. He spoke with a smile to his voice, peering up as if speaking to someone else other than Jigen – and that’s precisely what he was doing.
“Oh, KIDDO~! I think we’re all good, now,” he said, eying Jigen who gave his partner an inquisitive stare back. “Why don’cha let us outta here, hm? Pretty pleeease~?”
